Chris Haught – The Blogging Paintershttp://bloggingpainters.com
The Online Resource for the Painting IndustryTue, 20 Feb 2018 12:54:12 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.424038750Field Pulsehttp://bloggingpainters.com/field-pulse-2/
http://bloggingpainters.com/field-pulse-2/#respondSat, 25 Feb 2017 17:08:34 +0000http://bloggingpainters.com/?p=12507FieldPulse is an all-in-one business management application for your painting company – operating on iPhone, Android, and Computer WebApp. Schedule jobs for your team members, manage customer relationships, create estimates and invoices, and more! Source-Field Pulse The team at Field Pulse has provided some trials to our readers, see what they, and others have to […]

FieldPulse is an all-in-one business management application for your painting company – operating on iPhone, Android, and Computer WebApp. Schedule jobs for your team members, manage customer relationships, create estimates and invoices, and more!

]]>http://bloggingpainters.com/field-pulse-2/feed/012507Field Pulsehttp://bloggingpainters.com/field-pulse/
http://bloggingpainters.com/field-pulse/#respondMon, 16 Jan 2017 22:42:32 +0000http://bloggingpainters.com/?p=12000Here at Blogging Painters, we often are contacted by inventors, software developers and industry representatives. They are very interested in the feedback from our readers on products and ideas. Recently the folks at Field Pulse contacted us, they want to refine their product to make it better suited to the painting industry. I posted in […]

]]>Here at Blogging Painters, we often are contacted by inventors, software developers and industry representatives. They are very interested in the feedback from our readers on products and ideas. Recently the folks at Field Pulse contacted us, they want to refine their product to make it better suited to the painting industry. I posted in one of the Facebook groups I frequent and they had some great questions. Field Pulse answered them below and offered 45 day free trials to a select group.

We’ll post their thoughts later, but feel free to ask any questions in the comments below.

Q: “Looks like it could be beneficial. We just started to use tsheets for our time clock.”

A: Tsheets is a great program for what it does. We are releasing a feature in the next 60 days that will does everything Tsheets does time sheet wise, within our robust solution. We are about to go into beta testing for this feature and would love for you to tell us what you think, as well.

Q: “Integrate with Square?”

A: Yup! We fully integrate with Square and QuickBooks

Q: “But this one seems actually integrated with billing and accounting. That’s a huge bonus. I’d like to see an actual invoice and proposal if anyone has one.”

We just released our QuickBooks 2-way sync integration, that means it automatically syncs all updates in both programs which is HUGE. Most are only one way.

Q: “Looks like it has some good features, but do you know if it does auto-followup by email? I am currently looking at new CRM’s for 2017 and that is the main feature I want.”

FieldPulse handles payments, invoicing, scheduling, time tracking, employee location tracking etc. We found that the vast majority of users use email to communicate and their google calendars to stay on top of things.

For these reasons we have decided to integrate with the Google suite in the coming months, this will allow sync with Gmail and Google Calendar as well as other services they provide. They can provide the backbone of messaging and we will inject that into our system that covers everything else you need. Below is a link to Job status updating.

]]>http://bloggingpainters.com/field-pulse/feed/0120004 Strategies for Maximizing Word of Mouth Painting Referralshttp://bloggingpainters.com/4-strategies-maximizing-word-mouth-painting-referrals/
http://bloggingpainters.com/4-strategies-maximizing-word-mouth-painting-referrals/#commentsSun, 11 Dec 2016 18:49:15 +0000http://bloggingpainters.com/?p=11836In the service industry, existing customers are your bread and butter and you need to make sure they have an amazing experience. Yes, you might get additional business from them for add-on work, but that’s not how they are most valuable. According to a Nielsen survey, people are FOUR TIMES more likely to buy when […]

In the service industry, existing customers are your bread and butter and you need to make sure they have an amazing experience. Yes, you might get additional business from them for add-on work, but that’s not how they are most valuable. According to a Nielsen survey, people are FOUR TIMES more likely to buy when referred by a friend.

]]>http://bloggingpainters.com/4-strategies-maximizing-word-mouth-painting-referrals/feed/311836Password Management and Securityhttp://bloggingpainters.com/password-management-security/
http://bloggingpainters.com/password-management-security/#commentsSun, 29 May 2016 17:12:56 +0000http://bloggingpainters.com/?p=11038How many passwords do you have, or even better to ask, how many different passwords do you have? Do you use the same combination of your pet’s names and your birth year over and over? Password protection is a big deal these days. It used to be that the faulty thought “no one would target little ole […]

]]>How many passwords do you have, or even better to ask, how many different passwords do you have? Do you use the same combination of your pet’s names and your birth year over and over?

Password protection is a big deal these days. It used to be that the faulty thought “no one would target little ole me” was somewhat true. I recently read the life story of Kevin Mitnick, a “hacker” that now runs a successful security company. He used social engineering a lot, and while he was very clever, there were many examples of how we can be our own worst enemy when it comes to online security. When you begin to understand why hackers want to access your website, emails and other frequently used sites, you can better understand the need be cyber safe.

As an administrator and owner of multiple websites, there are a few things I see happening all too often when I am dealing with others and I thought I’d take a minute to share some of my favorite practices.

Password Management

I use Lastpass for my personal and 1Password at work, just cause I like to try new things and I keep the two separate. They both work great, you only need to remember on very strong password, they will auto fill the username and password on every site you visit and generate new, unique and safe passwords for you.

Website Logins

If you are managing your own website, you probably have given others access at some time for one reason or another, I know, because I have the logins for an inordinate amount of sites, but, hey, I’m trustworthy, right? Until someone has access to my computer or info.

Do not ever give anyone your user name and password!

Set up a new user with the proper (needed) rights and give them their own login. When their work is done, delete the user, or change the password if you think they made need access later. You can use the vault features in LastPass to share passwords as well.

Social Media Logins

Same thing as with passwords, make someone a manager of your Facebook page, rather than handing over your information. Have you ever wondered about logging into sites using your Google or Facebook login? There are some pros and cons, here is a video that explains it well.

Email Accounts

GMail has a cool feature called “delegate” in email. You can give an assistant access to be able to respond to emails on your behalf, yet still be able to restrict their access if needed. You can use Google’s 2 Step Verification to make sure that even with your password, access is blocked. If you frequently use other computers to check your gmail, make sure you completely log out.

Two Factor Authentication

Be a Safe Clicker!

I have seen many very smart people fall for email scams and phishing attempts. If someone you don’t know, but may be in your social circle or email contacts sends you a link to “open this doc” or view this “Dropbox folder”, take a moment to think about it. Don’t ever click on a link to a third party (bank, credit card, Amazon, Paypal, etc) from an email or link on a site, go to the site and log in. Those darn crooks are getting pretty good at mimicking sites and once you enter your user name and password, they will make your life hell!

Take a few moments to review and organize your digital wallet. Leave a comment below if you have comments or suggestions.

]]>http://bloggingpainters.com/password-management-security/feed/311038Swatchdeckhttp://bloggingpainters.com/swatchdeck-2/
http://bloggingpainters.com/swatchdeck-2/#commentsSun, 17 Apr 2016 17:56:39 +0000http://bloggingpainters.com/?p=10996Brad Bolinger of Swatchdeck was at PDCA Expo in New Orleans and I stopped by his booth to check out the app. I was impressed with the improvements he has made since I first saw it. The pdf it generates are ideal for keeping track of paint colors and orders. It had a very user friendly […]

Brad Bolinger of Swatchdeck was at PDCA Expo in New Orleans and I stopped by his booth to check out the app. I was impressed with the improvements he has made since I first saw it. The pdf it generates are ideal for keeping track of paint colors and orders. It had a very user friendly interface and if I was still doing estimates, it would definitely be in my toolbox.

]]>http://bloggingpainters.com/swatchdeck-2/feed/210996PDCA Expo 2016http://bloggingpainters.com/pdca-expo-2016-3/
http://bloggingpainters.com/pdca-expo-2016-3/#respondWed, 09 Mar 2016 17:28:36 +0000http://bloggingpainters.com/?p=10929The PDCA Expo is off to a great start in New Orleans, if this morning is any indication of the caliber of speakers and presentation topic, there is still much to be learned and value by attending! Chris Schank, PDCA Educator started off by welcoming everyone to the Hilton and with breakfast and tips on […]

]]>The PDCA Expo is off to a great start in New Orleans, if this morning is any indication of the caliber of speakers and presentation topic, there is still much to be learned and value by attending!

Chris Schank, PDCA Educator started off by welcoming everyone to the Hilton and with breakfast and tips on getting the most out of Expo. Attendees can download the PDCA app and schedule, connect and I heard there was even contests! One is to take a picture of someone’s shoes and say “I want those shoes”. I predict several folks will be hunting for Joshua and looking for his Allbright shoes! Wish him a Happy Birthday if you see him.

]]>http://bloggingpainters.com/pdca-expo-2016-3/feed/010929Vote for the Best Videohttp://bloggingpainters.com/vote-for-the-best-video/
http://bloggingpainters.com/vote-for-the-best-video/#respondMon, 15 Feb 2016 18:59:16 +0000http://bloggingpainters.com/?p=10790Contractors from around the nation have submitted their videos, and now it's your turn to decide who will make it to the top ten! Voting ends February 18th and you can vote once a day from now until voting closes.

American Painting Contractor wants your Vote!

Check out these videos and vote now!

This one should win just for the catchy tune that I’ll be humming all day! Josh and his team always have great enthusiasm and you can see the level of company culture. His professionalism and leadership has created a wave in the painting industry with many others “picking up the brush and Painting it Forward”

Speaking of company culture, be sure to view all of the videos from the Scaturo family and Alpine Painting. What a great narrative of the history of a generational business that grew stronger and better every year and it’s clear that they “love what we do”.

]]>http://bloggingpainters.com/vote-for-the-best-video/feed/010790Do you need a website?http://bloggingpainters.com/websites-for-contractors/
http://bloggingpainters.com/websites-for-contractors/#respondSun, 06 Dec 2015 23:20:52 +0000http://bloggingpainters.com/?p=10423I recently noticed Devyn (Owner of DE Web Designs) giving advice to members at a popular paint forum I visit and was impressed with his responses. He has created a website generator that can create a professional looking website for a minimal monthly cost and optimize it, a challenge for many paint contractors. I was […]

]]>I recently noticed Devyn (Owner of DE Web Designs) giving advice to members at a popular paint forum I visit and was impressed with his responses. He has created a website generator that can create a professional looking website for a minimal monthly cost and optimize it, a challenge for many paint contractors. I was curious, and I asked him a few more questions after he generated a site for me here. If you want to create a site like this for your business, you can generate your painting website here.

Q.Who are you and what do you do?

A.DE Web Designs is a web design and search engine optimization company that is focused on creating new customers through first page search engine results. We get our clients’ website on the first page of search results. When a potential customer searches online for a service you offer, they’ll find your website and contact you instead of your competitors.

Q.Will I have content that is unique to my area/company?

A.While the content is already created as you can see from the generator, we are more than happy to make changes or additions to it. The content will be specific to the area you primarily focus on

Q.Can I use my own photos?

A. Absolutely! Send us the highest qualities photos and we will switch them out, add them to the site and even format a gallery if you have enough. The higher the quality, the better they will look.

Q. Can I use my logo and logo colors throughout the website?

A. Of course. The logo on the generated website is there for illustration purposes. Although, if you do like it, we can modify the colors or leave it as is if you don’t have a logo.

Q. Will my site be mobile-friendly?

A.Yes. All of the professional websites we create are mobile-friendly. It’s a standard to us, and it’s an important ranking factor in Google’s eyes.

Q.What if I don’t have any social media accounts? (G+, FB, Twitter)

A. That doesn’t matter. If you have them, we can link your social media on the website so new visitors can follow you. If not, and you choose a package with social media management, we will create them for you and you will never have to worry about it.

Q. What happens when the contract ends?

A. After the contract term is up, you can cancel the contract or let it renew for the same term length. If renewed, you will continue to receive the monthly services for the same price. Once the contract is cancelled, all monthly work stops and all changes or additions will be based on an hourly fee.

Q.What if don’t have a domain name?

A. No worries. We will find the right domain for you. It costs an additional $10 to register for a year and $15 each year to renew. We do not have control of these prices.

Q. Do you do the hosting?

A. Hosting is included while the contract is active. After the contract is cancelled, hosting is $10/month and is due annually.

Q. What happens if the site goes down?

A. In the very unlikely event that your website goes down, we will do everything we can to get it right back up. The hosting company we use guarantees 99.9% uptime.

Q. Do I have to do backups or updates?

A. No you do not. We manage everything for you so you can focus on your business.

Q. Once the contract is up, do we get to keep content?

A. After the contract is paid for, the website, domain, content, images, etc. are yours.

Q. What’s the process if I want a change made on my website?

A. It’s much quicker for both parties to just send us an email with what you want changed and we’ll take care of it within 24 hours normally. Most changes are included in the monthly fee while under contract.

Q. Do you provide the support?

A.We provide everything you need help with. From setting up your emails onto your cell phone, email applications on your computers or laptops, to website changes or additions, we are here to help.

This sounds like a very good approach for those not ready to invest in a custom site (expensive), or realize that their time is better spent in their business, not in their website or keeping up with the ever-changing world of SEO (time-consuming).

]]>http://bloggingpainters.com/websites-for-contractors/feed/010423The Noodle Buddyhttp://bloggingpainters.com/the-noodle-buddy/
http://bloggingpainters.com/the-noodle-buddy/#respondMon, 21 Sep 2015 00:50:54 +0000http://bloggingpainters.com/?p=10062We were recently contacted by Bill over at Noodle Buddy to see if our readers would be interested in a new way to secure their cargo loads. They were kind enough to send us a few to try out and review here. I can’t wait to try mine and not have to deal with things sliding […]

We were recently contacted by Bill over at Noodle Buddy to see if our readers would be interested in a new way to secure their cargo loads.
They were kind enough to send us a few to try out and review here. I can’t wait to try mine and not have to deal with things sliding around the back of my truck!

]]>http://bloggingpainters.com/the-noodle-buddy/feed/010062Where are your employees?http://bloggingpainters.com/where-are-your-employees/
http://bloggingpainters.com/where-are-your-employees/#respondWed, 13 May 2015 22:28:55 +0000http://bloggingpainters.com/?p=9051If you are a one man show, you probably have no problems being on time for estimates and jobs, and are able to communicate with clients if you are running behind. But for those running multiple jobs with several employees, often driving company vehicles, it can be difficult to keep track of everyone. The worst […]

]]>If you are a one man show, you probably have no problems being on time for estimates and jobs, and are able to communicate with clients if you are running behind. But for those running multiple jobs with several employees, often driving company vehicles, it can be difficult to keep track of everyone.

The worst call is from a customer asking, “where is the painter you said would be here at 8?” and you don’t have a clue. You have to tell the customer, “I don’t know, but I’ll call you back and let you know”, then scramble to find out that your employee is still at the paint store waiting for the order, or stuck in traffic. You handle it and think everything is fine, they were just a little late, it’s ok right?

I came across this article and it made me rethink this. I thought about the difference I had recently with 2 different service providers I contacted , one told me that the service person would be there between 9-12 and I never heard more, was left waiting and wondering, the other said they would be there at 9:00 am and sent text updates to confirm. I was much happier with knowing with the latter!

I connected with Justin Guinn, a market researcher from Software Advice, a free comparison tool for dispatch software and asked a few more questions:

Your study revealed what some big customer pain points are and how technology can amend them. What did you find?

“Our report found that customers’ greatest pain point is waiting for late workers. Two-thirds of customers won’t do business with a service company again if that company is an hour late to an appointment. However, our report also found that 95 percent of service business who’ve adopted GPS-enabled scheduling, routing, and dispatching software see an increase in mobile worker punctuality.”

How else can dispatching software help painting businesses?

“Aside from increasing punctuality, dispatching software like this allows the back office to see the driving habits of mobile workers in the field. By recording and monitoring these driving habits, businesses can reward safe and efficient driving. It’s because of this, and because of more efficient routing, that 89 percent of service business who’ve adopted GPS-enabled scheduling, routing, and dispatching software see an improvement in fuel costs.”

Furthermore, the advanced scheduling features that typically come with this software allow mobile workers to most effectively route/plan their day so that they can get in as many jobs as possible. Thus, it’s not surprising that 95 percent of providers who’ve adopted the software have seen an increase in the number of work orders completed per worker per day.

Are business owners able to see where their workers are in the field?

“Business are able to see where their workers are in the field. So if a worker wraps up a job ahead of schedule, business owners can see where he is in relation to other jobs that need to get done and assign him one before his next scheduled job.”

What was the most surprising thing you found in your study?

“Most surprisingly, our study found that though 67 percent of people wouldn’t rehire a company if they’re an hour late, 73 percent of consumers are more likely to hire that company again if they receive notification of an updated arrival time. This finding seems to indicate that proper communication with customers can have a largely positive impact on business. The ability to notify customers about a late technician is something that’s folded into some of these systems.”